Milwaukee & Waukesha Metro Areas – For so many people who have gone through the trauma of a separation or divorce, the approaching holidays can be a lonely and extremely stressful time. The New Horizons programs that are sponsored by the Milwaukee Archdiocese, seek to provide healing opportunities.

Adopted by early Christians to symbolize their new life in Christ, the ONCA is the symbol for New Horizons. The ONCA is an ancient Egyptian symbol of physical and eternal life. Its lower arc represents the sun rising on the horizon, and the encircling oval signifies wholeness.

Healing Weekends are one of the ministries provided by New Horizons. These weekends are ecumenical retreats designed as a peer ministry outreach to those who are divorced or separated with no hope of reconciliation. You will find the weekend rewarding if you have been divorced for years or if your divorce is recent. New Horizons is sponsored by the Nazareth Project, part of the John Paul II Center of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Open to anyone,our retreats are held twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, at the scenic Schoenstatt Retreat Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin. These weekends offer a one time opportunity for reflection, personal work and for celebration to help you to embark on a new phase of life after divorce. They offer a safe, open, caring and Christian environment where you will be able to explore the hurts, desires, ambitions, disappointments, joys, and frustrations that are a part of divorce.

This healing weekend runs from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon and is directed by a team of divorced persons and a chaplain. It includes presentations given by members of the New Horizons team which relate to different aspects of marriage and the experience of separation and divorce. Private time is given to participants to reflect on their own experiences. Participants and volunteers share thoughts during small group sessions that provide an opportunity to rediscover the strengths and joys of life within ourselves. You can share whatever you choose to share, and know that you are in a safe and confidential environment. Meals, fellowship and worship are all part of the weekend experience.

Some comments from recent participants: “This weekend opened the door to the healing process.” “I was able to put closure to my marriage and put the past in perspective.” I was given permission to hurt as well as laugh and not feel threatened by being a divorced person.”

If you are interested in participating in the next New Horizons Healing Weekend scheduled for November 9-11, please contact the Nazareth Project at the John Paul II Center in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Contact information on the John Paul II Center website – www.johnpaul2center.org , along with cost, scholarship and specific date information. Additional weekends are scheduled for 2013.

In addition to these weekends, New Horizons sponsors Masses of Healing which are open to those separated or divorced and their families. Prior to the Masses, there are staff personnel from the Milwaukee Archdiocese’s Tribunal to answer questions and provide information about annulments. There is a time for fellowship and refreshments following the mass. The next scheduled Mass is Saturday, December 22 at 7:00 PM and will be held at St. Peter of Alcantara Parish in Port Washington. Masses are also scheduled for 2013. See the John Paul II website for additional details or contact Kathy Smith.

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